Re: a2om - btec driving science

Has anybody done this 1 day course to become an assessor?

Yes I attended the course last week.

I have registered with a2om and am awaiting a reply on the course but thought I'd plan ahead .

Zoe to put it bluntly is extremely busy. When receiving applicants she needs to check this against other applicants in the area, then find a suitable location for the training, then find the trainers to do it at that time. They report back to the instructors who may or may not still be interested, collect payment etc etc.. Then theres all the other course materials and day to day enquiries happening.

Im pritty sure you will get a reply, just not a personal one when you would like it.

What's involved?

Accreditation requires a 1 day course directed at delivering the BTEC qualification. You will be required to have periodic assessments to show you are doing the course effectively, this is not a CT and your instructional ability is not being monitored just that you are delivery the BTEC to the standards required. Again from memory this will happen twice a year or pro-rate to the number of BTEC courses you are delivering. If you dont have any how can they assess nothing. Unlike a CT.

Like anything, the work really starts at home and doing your own research, and preparing the course materials.

How much?

Only £150, your pupils will pay £175 but I beleive this may increase in the future. This gives you access to A2om Mind and A2om Highway. You also have access to your pupils progress charts and can see that they are doing the work requested. You are provided with marketing materials and may be passed A2om BTEC pupils in your area. Instructors are paid commission for the pupils they give a BTEC course to....Level 5 of the BTEC course requires post test training, so those applicants taking the course will come back to you after passing their test.

Is there an exam at the end?

There is a short online assessment required once you complete the course. ( you do this at home )You need to score I think it was 17+ out of 20.....Whilst it was straight forwards, I dont think i could have answered the questions unless i had received the course materials from the day. You get 2 chances to pass the test, if you fail you can call A2om. Hopefully you dont!

Re: a2om - btec driving science

I've had a look at the BTEC course and can only conclude it's got some of the best online training materials for learners I've ever seen. Sure, I would do some things different, but it's a whole lot better than anything the DSA have put out.

Will be attending a course soon.

Has anyone been able to sell any BTEC courses to pupils yet? Because if nobody can sell it, it'll come to nothing.

Having said that I believe it should begin to sell very fast within about 6 months.

Re: a2om - btec driving science

Anyone attending the a2om course should not think this is going to be easy money. I believe it will be a fantastic opportunity for both ADI's and pupils, but there will need to be a strong commitment to raising our game.

If you haven't got to grips with the GDE Matrix and developed your own structured coaching techniques for levels 3 and 4 then you will simply have to start soon.

Re: a2om - btec driving science

The basics are....You do a one day course with a2om it costs you £150 ( nothing really when you see what your getting ).

You complete an online assessment with the content of the one day. You have access to a2om mind and a2om highway.

You deliver the course to pupils and receive £30 - It costs the pupils £175. The modules are delivered in car, with the content being learnt at home by the pupil.

Instructors are very good at teaching skills for driving, the BTEC concentrates more on the attitude of drivers. Personally i think it goes alot further than that, or lets say it has potential to go alot further.

The focus is more about safe driving, as to complete all 5 modules you need to do post test training. I think this is where a2om has scored major points. As there is no stipulation like pass plus on number of hours ( im expecting someone to say there is no stipulation on hours for pass plus now ).

Getting pupils to think beyond the driving test is a major draw back in our training, this course goes a long way to addressing that, and the problems new drivers face on the road.

Theres plenty of info online, and many articles. As has been mentioned. Its beginning to build momentum, and a2om have just started sending out their marketing packs to instructors, so we can start to sell the course in detail.

Re: a2om - btec driving science

I attended our local Instructors meeting a couple of weeks ago, a2om where there trying to sell their course to the Instructors.

3 of the Instructors present had been on the course back in May I believe and have had a grand total of 0 customer's from a2om.

So other than the educational benefit to the Instructor in terms of business they have had no return for their £150. Of course the real cost of the course is never just the course fee because you have a day's loss of earnings to make up.

I agree the on line learning looked impressive but the a2om representatives agreed they are not actively selling the b tec to learner's because they need the Instructors Trained up 1st to deliver the course before they commit themselves to advertising the course itself for learners.

So a good concept but as with all these "additional costs" to learn to drive only the wealthiest or the people that are having the course paid for by someone else are likely to take up the course. It is interesting to note that at the rear of their glossy brochure all the educational establishments listed that they say they are in contact with are fee paying schools, no local secondary schools in site.

Re: a2om - btec driving science

Somehow I don't think you understand the principles of running a business - You have to put effort into the sales process! Gone are the days when things will just end up in your lap because you have a green badge.

I am about to contact 214 secondary schools in Kent and South East London, I've already spoken to the Council, the police, the fire and rescue service, the safety camera partnership, road safety officers et al. I have meetings arranged with loads of people and have positive backing from many already.

I have a business plan to sell 200 in the first 6 months and 1000 in the first 18 months. I know if I don't set these targets I wont reach them, but I do set them and I often reach my goals.

Re: a2om - btec driving science

Lets not forget that a2om are not here to make money out of instructors. They make money from selling the program to our clients, who pay not much more than a decent pass plus course for the BTEC.

g'day....Your right....a2om are treading very carefully...When you look at this profession theres been very little changed over the last 10-15 years. When i spoke to the a2om directors they were under no illusion about the task ahead of them, and that task amongst other things is to change the way people learn to drive.

Theres some big players in the driver training profession. One of those big players are happy to take on part qualified instructors in mass, yet does this really promote safe driving for life. I beleive in one of the programs an a2om director points out that theres very little on offer to the customer in terms of safe driving, the majority of the market is driven towards a driving test.

As instructors if we sway to far from what our customers perceive to be what they want then we may struggle to find work.

Im in this game to make money....I want an easier more relaxed lifestyle, yet I also want to produce better safer drivers. Its very hard for me as an individual to brake that mold, because I dont have support nor backing, yet I know when speaking to other instructors there are others who think the same.

The truth is i think we needed an A2om, I dont think people would have bought into another driving school selling the same product or ideas.

I dont think we will totally move away from the customers who just want to pass a test, but at the moment things cant get much worse.

Re: a2om - btec driving science

Well done Tony, looks like this will be very lucrative for you.I'm only just getting my head around all the materials provided after attending the course this week, this is certainly the way forward so far as I am concerned!